Evidence of swine flu risk to pregnant women rises
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Evidence of swine flu risk to pregnant women rises; experts urge early treatment
Remember that the CDC is now recommending special considerations for pregnant HCW. Most hospitals and health...
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Dr. Lombardi reported that Junín suspected cases who died were three: the first adult male was placed in a private clinic, the second was the pregnant woman (after an emergency caesarean section had a baby), and the third case, the baby who died recently.

Pregnant

As for the pregnant and the recommendations made from medical units, the Director of Health said: "It is a very special because pregnancy is a major risk factor in the case of Influenza A. 40 per cent of deaths in the province of Buenos Aires accounted for pregnant women. Is not a minor, which led us to liberate us from the workplace to all pregnant women. "
"Last Friday we recommend that pregnant women do not return to their jobs. And on the subject of health checks suggest postponing the routine. It is not exposed in a waiting room with people who might be sick, "he added.

A 26-year-old pregnant woman who died on Monday, July 20 has been confirmed as Tonga's first death from swine flu, according to the Director of Health Dr Siale 'Akau'ola today. The woman's baby was saved.

The funeral of the woman was held at Tatakamotonga today. She had worked as a telephone operator and receptionist at Vaiola Hospital.

He said the pregnant woman who was nearly full term, was admitted to Vaiola Hospital on July 10 for pneumonia and was in a severe condition, with breathing difficulties.

He said doctors suspected she had the swine flu and isolated her before deciding for immediate surgery to try save her life and the baby.

The surgery took place the following day on July 11, which saved her baby, unfortunately she was far too sick to be saved and died on Monday, July 20. Her test, which was sent to New Zealand for confirmation on July 15, came back positive for swine flu the day she died, confirmed Dr 'Akau'ola.

The swine flu pandemic could overwhelm intensive care beds in England, especially in children's units, leading doctors warned today. Demand for intensive care beds could outstrip supply by 130 per cent in some regions, while the need for ventilators to help people breathe could exceed supply by 20 per cent. Paediatric facilities are likely to become 'quickly exhausted', while hospitals could face 'massive excess demand', according to the researchers.

The warning comes as a pregnant woman critically ill with swine flu was being treated in a Swedish hospital today after being transferred from Scotland. Sharon Pentleton, 26, from North Ayrshire, was flown to Stockholm because no beds were available in the UK for the rare procedure she needs. The 26-year-old Scot was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock last week where she has been on a ventilator due to an extreme reaction to the H1N1 virus. Today, Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon told BBC radio: 'She's now getting treatment that gives her the best possible chance of survival.'

The health secretary said the Scottish woman had arrived in Sweden last night and said: 'She's now in hospital in Sweden, doctors were pleased with how she coped with the journey. 'So she's now in very good hands, getting the best possible treatment and I'm sure we all wish her well and hope she makes a full recovery.' But Ms Sturgeon said the woman was critically ill, adding: 'She had a very severe and a very rare reaction to the H1N1 virus.' The pregnant woman had been treated in the hospital's intensive care unit.

NHS Ayrshire and Arran's specialist intensive care team recommended that she receive a highly-specialised procedure known as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This involves circulating the patient's blood outside the body and adding oxygen to it artificially. ECMO is a relatively new technique that is used when a patient's lungs are functioning very poorly even with ventilation and high levels of oxygen.

The UK has a national ECMO unit in Leicester but all five beds there are currently being used. However a bed has been found in a similar unit in Stockholm and the patient was transferred under pan-European arrangements for sharing such scarce facilities.A specialist medical team was sent from Stockholm and the pregnant woman was flown to Sweden, arriving at the hospital last night.

The health board said she has adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Dr Robert Masterton, executive medical director of NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: 'Once an ECMO bed was identified in Sweden, our intensive care specialists worked closely with our Swedish colleagues to make sure the patient was stable before being transferred.
'The family have been fully involved in this decision and support this referral. They have asked for privacy while they concentrate on the patient's treatment and recovery.'

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: 'This woman has suffered severe complications and requires urgent and highly specialised treatment. 'It is therefore absolutely right that she is transferred to Sweden for treatment which could save her life.'The extreme rarity of the procedure she requires means that there are pan-European arrangements in place for sharing facilities when any one country's unit is full, as in the UK's case at present. 'This is therefore an excellent example of these arrangements working in practice for the benefit of patients.

'By the same token, we in the UK have taken patients from other European countries for this procedure in the past.'

Buried in this long translation is this information that the mother survived the C-section but her baby did not. They have given this woman Tamiflu. It remains to be seen if she survives the flu itself. Why they felt it necessary to do the C-section is not stated.

Quote from www.flutrackers.com

At 4:30 yesterday the heart of the premature infant infected with human influenza AH1N1 stopped beating at the Sacred Heart hospital in El Alto.

Little was born by caesarean section because his mother was infected with the pandemic and had a great risk of losing their lives, so the doctors decided to perform the operation at six months pregnant with the intention of saving the life of mother and boy.

Campero Rosario, director of Heart of Jesus Hospital, reported that the baby died due to respiratory failure by as premature. It was confirmed that the child did not have the flu. The doctors of this hospital also ensure that the child's lungs did not respond to medications administered to enhance their performance.

The head of the national influenza, René Lenis, said the woman was operated on with complete success and that the treatment is administered with Tamiflu. Doctors at the hospital reported the improvement of the woman who has five children.

It seems that most of these fatal cases in pregnant women seem to be occurring in the last trimester. It's so sad.

Quote from www.flutrackers.com

The number of victims by the H1N1 flu rose to seven in Peru, after the death of a man of 36 years and a pregnant woman of 21 suffering from the disease, while the number of infected already exceeds 2,200 cases.

The Peruvian government reported on Wednesday that killed two people belonging to "groups of populations at risk" for the new influenza virus.

The man was suffering from "hypertension is not controlled" and the woman was 30 weeks' gestation. Both were being treated separately from medical centers in Lima, the Ministry of Health noted in a statement.

Meanwhile, restaurants, canteens, cafes, pizzerias, ice cream shops may carry out its activities by restricting the ability of individuals for which they were entitled to 50% in order to achieve greater distance between them. There will be fines and even closure as a penalty for those who do not comply with this provision.

In government offices, banks and shops with large number of people, should arbitrate any preventive measures recommended by the health authority avoiding agglomeration of people.

... it is estimated that two deaths from influenza A in the southern city entrerriano. The first, a young, would have occurred last Friday at the local Centennial Hospital. The second, another young woman, pregnant, died on Wednesday at the sanatorium AGOS 1, after which the attending physicians who performed a cesarean section to reach and save her baby 7 months of gestation.

The samples taken up to the victims had symptoms consistent with influenza A, bacterial pneumonia and rapid development of bilateral pneumonia. The peak of affected cases in this city occurred between 20 and 22 June, "and hopefully in the next few days a second wave," said Luis Castillo, medical director of the AGOS.

An infant girl delivered prematurely at Ratchaburi hospital was born infected with type-A (H1N1) influenza - possibly the country's first mother to child transmission of the infection, medical authorities revealed yesterday.

"This is the country's first case study," said Dr Adisorn Phattaradul, director of Chulalongkorn hospital which admitted the 24-year-old mother from Ratchaburi province on Saturday.

After the baby was born prematurely last Tuesday her mother developed a severe form of type-A (H1N1) influenza before being transferred to Chulalongkorn - the country's leading medical school - to receive special care.

She is now in a critical condition with severe pneumonia. Doctors say the virus has spread to her lungs and she is on a respirator in the intensive care unit. They have given her the antiviral drug oseltamivir and sleeping pills to help her recovery.

Meanwhile, her newborn daughter is in a baby incubator and has also been given antiviral drugs. Doctors say her lungs are now normal but they are worried the virus might affect her brain.

I am to see my Dr. tomorrow I presented to the ER today with low grade fever, very sore throat, tightness in chest, heavy cough, bronchospasms, mild emesis (due to the cough) all symptoms lasting approximately one week and was discharged home with a script for zofran and dx: gastroenteritis I happen to be 17 weeks pregnant with my 3rd. Needless to say I do not have an easy feeling about this. I was given a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia and blood was drawn but all I could get is "hmm wbc elevated" " your pregnant I can't give you anything except these fluids. go home. you have a stomach bug" what? Good to know we are trying to prevent the spread of these symptoms. Without my knowledge in medicine I wouldn't think anything of going to the grocery store or my families house which would spread this even more. I am not saying I have swine flu but is it not possible with my symptoms?

I am to see my Dr. tomorrow I presented to the ER today with low grade fever, very sore throat, tightness in chest, heavy cough, bronchospasms, mild emesis (due to the cough) all symptoms lasting approximately one week and was discharged home with a script for zofran and dx: gastroenteritis I happen to be 17 weeks pregnant with my 3rd. Needless to say I do not have an easy feeling about this. I was given a chest x-ray to rule out pneumonia and blood was drawn but all I could get is "hmm wbc elevated" " your pregnant I can't give you anything except these fluids. go home. you have a stomach bug" what? Good to know we are trying to prevent the spread of these symptoms. Without my knowledge in medicine I wouldn't think anything of going to the grocery store or my families house which would spread this even more. I am not saying I have swine flu but is it not possible with my symptoms?

I am glad that you are going to see your own doctor. Would that be your OB doc?

Were you also tested for swine flu while at the ER? Perhaps you were, but tested negative.

It is good that you are informed in case it is influenza, and your symptoms get worse. While you may well have gastroenteritis, considering that you also have ILI symptoms, and an elevated WBC, I can see why you would be concerned. As you know, it is not our place to diagnose here.

A pregnant 25-year-old Emirati woman has been diagnosed with H1N1 swine flu virus and is currently in a medicated coma at Welcare Hospital.

The woman, who is five-and-a-half-months pregnant, is also suffering from pneumonia as a result of the flu and has a history of severe asthma.

"Doctors at Welcare have told us that it's a 50:50 chance that she might lose the baby; they say that it is in critical but stable condition," her brother Mohammad told Gulf News.

The family is blaming Dubai Hospital for the severity of her condition. "How could they let a swine flu case slip through like that? Government hospitals are the ones concentrating on swine flu and they just ignored my sister's condition," says Mohammad.

"I took my sister to Dubai Hospital Emergency Room on Monday [July 13]. She was complaining that she was feeling weak, nauseous and had a fever. We were worried about the baby as this is her first pregnancy," says Mohammad.

"We were made to wait for almost an hour until her husband yelled at them and made a scene. A doctor examined her and gave her an injection. No other medication was given, and she was discharged."

"The next day she was feeling even worse and had a fever of about 41 degrees Celsius. We took her back to Dubai Hospital Emergency Room, where they made her sit in a wheelchair for almost an hour with no doctor or nurse giving her any attention, even when she was vomiting."

"We decided to leave the hospital as she wasn't getting any care there; nobody even stopped us or asked us where we were going. We took her to nearby Al Baraha Hospital. They were very fast and got her on a [intravenous] drip right away and had a doctor look in on her every 10 minutes. They told us that they wanted to admit her for 72-hour observation, but her husband said if she needed to be admitted then he would have her admitted to Welcare Hospital. They made us sign a waiver that we were discharging her against doctor's orders."

A spokesperson for Dubai Hospital said: "The hospital staff is well equipped to deal with Swine flu cases and we follow WHO guidelines and protocol. In this specific case, the patient visited Dubai hospital ER section on July 13, at 6.40pm. She was seen by a nurse at 7.10pm and by the doctor at 7.35pm. Her condition was stable and her main complaint was nausea and vomiting, which are common symptoms in pregnancy. She had no previous history of travel. She refused to undergo tests such as the blood count test. She was given a prescription but left without taking it with her. The next day her symptoms became worse, however she did not go to see the doctor."

It seems that there's hesitation about the 5 months pregnant Emitati woman going back again to Dubai Hospital (a "government hospital"), and I certainly don't blame her. There may be a 2 tier system there, with Welcare hospital being more exclusive.....